JPH0511148A - Optical id module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To identify an optical fiber at a long distance by forming plural fine gaps so that an optical waveguide is parted and coupling external optical fibers with the optical light waveguide through a coupling means. CONSTITUTION:This optical ID module has the optical waveguide 1 constituted on a substrate 4, the gaps 3 which are formed parting the optical waveguide 1, and an optical connector 2 for coupling the external optical fibers 6 and 6' with the optical waveguide 1. Then the optical ID module is connected to the optical fibers 6 and 6' by the optical connector 2 and matching oil or an adhesive as a refractive index matching agent 5 which is nearly equal in refractive index to the optical waveguide 1 of the optical fibers 6 and 6' in the module is dripped in desired fine gaps 3. When the optical fibers are observed from inside in this state, the numbers and positions of the fine gaps 3 filled with the matching oil and other fine gaps can be identified respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical ID module used for discriminating optical fibers in a transmission system of a communication optical cable, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional optical fiber tester has been used as a technique for separating optical fibers in a conventional optical transmission system.
In this optical fiber tester, light is incident only on an optical fiber that has already been separated in a station or in a manhole or the like, and the optical power is monitored at the emitting end to separate the optical fibers at the emitting end. The incident light and the emitted light can be monitored by an arbitrary manhole or the like by a known method called LID (local injection and detection). A symbol is displayed on the optical fiber separated in this manner inside the station or outside the optical fiber at the line end.

[0003]

In order to maintain the separated optical fibers in this way, there is no choice but to rely on the symbols displayed on the outside of the optical fiber, which often lead to misidentification, or to sort again before the work. Had to do. The cause of such a lack of information amount is that the classification information is displayed outside the optical fiber.

If the optical fiber itself has its own classification signal and can arbitrarily extract it as information,
The reliability of maintenance and inspection of the optical transmission line is significantly improved.

However, to date, there is no example in which the optical fiber itself has an individual amount of information.

The present invention has been made in view of the above,
The purpose is to provide an optical fiber I that can be easily coupled to an optical fiber and can accurately separate the optical fiber from a long distance.
To provide a D module.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, an optical ID module of the present invention comprises an optical waveguide formed on a substrate and a plurality of minute voids formed so as to divide the optical waveguide. And a coupling means for coupling an external optical fiber to the optical waveguide.

[0008]

In the optical ID module of the present invention, a plurality of minute voids are formed so as to divide the optical waveguide formed on the substrate, and an external optical fiber is coupled to the optical waveguide via coupling means. There is.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an optical ID module according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is an optical waveguide, 2 is an optical connector coupling the optical waveguides, and 3 is an optical waveguide. Also, minute voids, 4 is a substrate on which an optical waveguide is formed, and 5 is a refractive index matching agent. The optical connector 2 is connected to the optical fibers 6 and 6 '. In FIG. 1, the minute voids 3 are 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 2
Eight numbers 56 are formed, of which voids 3 numbered 2,8,16,32,128,256 are closed by dropping the refractive index matching agent 5. The size of the void 3 is, for example, several microns to several tens of microns. The refractive index matching agent 5 is, for example, marching oil or an adhesive.

The above-mentioned refractive index matching agent 5 is dropped into an arbitrary minute void of the optical ID module shown in FIG.
An example observed by DR is shown in FIG. In this embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 1, 2,8,16,32,128,25
An example in which the refractive index matching agent 5 is dropped into the minute void 3 numbered 6 is shown. In the observation waveform shown in FIG. 2, 7 and 8 are reflection pulses at the optical connector 2,
The pulses 9 and 10 are reflected pulses from the minute gap 3 corresponding to the numbers 4 and 64 in FIG. 1, respectively. Here, a slight reflection pulse caused by a slight difference in refractive index between the refractive index matching agent 5 and the optical waveguide 1 is also shown from the minute void 3 in which the refractive index matching agent 5 is dropped. In this example, a binary number is attached to the position of the minute gap 3. However, if the position of the reflection pulse is known by OTDR, the individual ID number in binary number can be known.
In this embodiment, an example of the ID number 68 is shown.

As described above, if the optical ID module shown in FIG. 1 is used, the classification information of each optical fiber can be optically extracted from a distant place, which is extremely effective as a management information acquisition means of the optical fiber. .

Further, in the present embodiment, an example of ID numbers up to 256 in binary number is shown, but any number of minute voids can be arbitrarily adjusted to give any ID number.

Further, since the optical parts themselves can be made extremely small, they are easy to handle, and the dropping of the refractive index matching agent 5 into the minute voids 3 can be easily dealt with in the field work. There is an advantage that the efficiency can be improved.

When the above-mentioned optical ID module is used, the optical ID module is connected to the optical connector 2 by
The optical waveguides 1 of the optical fibers 6 and 6'in the module are connected to the optical fibers 6 and 6'in a desired minute gap.
A matching oil or an adhesive which is a refractive index matching agent 5 having a refractive index of the same degree as is dropped. In such a state, for example, when the optical fiber is observed from the inside of the station by a known optical OTDR or the like, the number and positions of the minute voids filled with the matching oil and the minute voids not filled can be known. It becomes possible to optically separate the optical fiber itself from a long distance. Therefore, if a plurality of optical fibers are sequentially observed at regular time intervals, the line loss information and the classification information of the optical fibers can be obtained in the same embodiment, so that the maintenance work of the transmission line can be easily performed. It will be possible.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an optical ID module according to another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, 1-4 and 6 show the same components as in FIG. And 1
Reference numeral 1 is a substance having the same refractive index as the optical waveguide. Since the substance 11 can be removably inserted into a minute void, if the substance 11 is pulled out from an arbitrary void portion, an imbalanced state of the refractive index is generated at that place, which is explained in the above-mentioned embodiment. As described above, the ID can be assigned by observing the OTDR. However, in the present embodiment, conversely, at the extracted position, I
It is different from the above-mentioned embodiment in that it has a mechanism for giving a D number.

Since the present invention is to arbitrarily generate a refractive index unbalanced portion in the optical waveguide and optically detect it, a substance to be inserted into a minute void in the optical waveguide is Any substance that optically transmits and propagates light may be used, and the same effect can be obtained even if the substance has a refractive index different from that of the optical waveguide.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration in which the optical ID module shown in FIG. 1 or 3 is incorporated in an actual subscriber line of a telephone exchange. In the figure, 2, 6, 6 '
1 shows the same components as in FIG. 1, and 12 denotes the light I
D module, 13 is installed in the subscriber's house
SU is an optical switch, and 14 is an optical switch.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the optical fibers 6 and 6'are coupled to the optical ID module 12 from the telephone office side,
As described above, it is possible to separate the optical fibers 6 and 6 ', and further, the DSU 1 having the optical switch 14 or less is used.
It is also possible to separate 3 items. When actually used by the subscriber, the optical switch 14 is switched to change the optical path to D
It may be connected to the SU13 side.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another application example of the optical ID module shown in FIG. 1 or 3. In the figure, by connecting the optical ID module 12 and the DSU 13 with the multi-core connector 22 as shown,
The core wires can be sorted from the telephone office side.

In the application examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wavelength of the light used for communication is separated from the wavelength of the light for separation, and a filter (not shown) is provided in the DSU 13 to separate the core wires. And communication can be performed at the same time.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since a plurality of minute voids are formed so as to divide the optical waveguide formed on the substrate, and an external optical fiber can be coupled to the optical waveguide through coupling means, the optical fibers can be separated from a long distance. In addition to being extremely effective as a means for acquiring optical fiber management information, the ID number can be arbitrarily changed by exchanging the optical ID module via the coupling means.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical ID module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram showing a method for extracting a classification signal using the optical ID module shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical ID module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration in which the optical ID module shown in FIG. 1 or 3 is incorporated in an actual subscriber line of a telephone exchange.

5 is a diagram showing another application example of the optical ID module shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Optical waveguide 2 Optical connector 3 Micro voids 4 substrates 5 Refractive index matching agent 6,6 'optical fiber

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An optical waveguide formed on a substrate, and a plurality of minute voids formed so as to divide the optical waveguide,
An optical ID module having a coupling means for coupling an external optical fiber to the optical waveguide. 2. The optical ID according to claim 1, further comprising a substance having a refractive index that is the same as or different from the refractive index of the optical waveguide that can be detachably attached to the minute gap.
module.